I love how travel broadens the mind and challenges preconceptions. It is easy to lump all middle east arab countries together but reading about Lawrence of Arabia showed how tribal differences prevented arab unity in the past and still today. Jordan is a monarchy since WW1, a small country of 6 million, 92% muslim and 7% christian. Current King Abdullah 2nd's mother was English, he studied in the USA and at Sandhurst. His father Hussein made peace with Israel in 1993 so they could spend on improving the country rather than arms and armies and Jordan's size and situation seems to make for moderate and tolerant politics.

Like in Israel it is an amazing feeling walking in the land of the bible, for me as a general non-believer it resonates for its history. The Moabites lived here. They really existed. From Mount Nebo we stood where Moses pointed to the promised land, presumably greener than the current sandy parched hills which look an unlikely source of milk and honey. In a church in Madaba part of the mosaic floor survives showing a 5th century map of the middle east, the walled city of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Jordan River and Dead Sea and other cities from Syria to Egypt. Over the millenia manmade borders have moved and all conflicts however great fade into insignificance with time.

We are staying first by the dead sea and have floated on its 30% salt water as if on a large inflatable armchair, only without the chair, although sadly no time to cake ourselves in mud and bake in the sun as we needed to do some laps in the pool for exercise, there being no shortage of food. We were pretty stuffed after the many aromatic mezes at lunch only to discover these were only starters and half a chicken with wedges of onion soaked bread followed. By dinner we were wiser but there were so many dishes and you just have to try them all, so that we were again full before the chicken main course appeared. We ate in a tented courtyard and the evening was cold after the heat of the day, some long brown arab robes were provided to cover thin dresses. I was an inelegant woolly brown ball with head and hands poking out but I was warm. No alcohol for 2 days and reassuringly no shakes.